From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 03:06:16 +0000
Subject: Info on Hanukkah
From: Ron Baker
To: <heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Subject: Hanukkah
Greetings Mishpachah (family):
Jacqui and l want to celebrate Hanukkah this year and not so much the
Christmas theme. I have looked through the HHM site and found nothing on
the Hanukkah festival. Can Someone guide us on where we should be looking
and how to incorporate Hanukkah whilst remembering that our Children would
be most upset if they thought that the Christmas they so love was being
done away with. So we want to celebrate Hanukkah not Christmas and still
make it a special time for our Children..... Help.
At least our young Children have never believed in Father Xmas as we have
never deceived them on this issue, so we don't have that to deal with.
Thankyou
Ron & Jacqui Baker
>From Eddie:
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The following article and information is taken from a
newsletter written by Dr. Randy Weiss. Dr. Weiss is a Jewish believer
in Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah. He is the founder of a Jewish Roots
ministry called "CrossTalk". The CrossTalk Web Site is located at:
http://www.crosstalk.org/
Randy is a member of our Hebraic Roots network.
THE HISTORY OF HANUKKAH
Alexander the Great was a famous Greek King who conquered
most of the known world in his day. He dominated all of the Near East
which included the land of Israel during the 4th Century B.C.E. After
his death, his kingdom was divided into four parts. The land of
Israel was under the dynasty of the Seleucid dynasty that dominated
the area of Syria. This is the historical background and setting to
the Hanukkah story. It began in approxiamately in 167 BCE when a king
named Antiochus Epiphanes tried to force the hellenization (accept
the ways and practices of the Greek Empire) of all his subjects.
Jewish practices such as the keeping of the Sabbath and circumcision
were forbidden. They even commanded that the Jews sacrifice the most
unclean of animals, a pig, to Zeus instead of the animals that God
required and instituted through the Levitical priesthood in the
Temple. Some Jews desired to assimulate and accept the Greek ways
but other Jews refused and some were brutally killed.
When the Greeks arrived in the city of Modi'in ( a city
about 17 miles from Jerusalem), they set up an altar and commanded
the Jews to come and sacrifice a pig. Mattathias, an old priest, was
enraged by this event. As priest, Mattathias was to be the 1st person
required to do this sacrifice. Mattathias boldy refused to offer a
sacrifice to Zeus and made a rousing speech against pagan worship
and called the Jews to solidarity and faith.
When a Jewish parishioner went forward to sacrifice
the pig in compliance with the demand of the pagan invaders,
Mattathias killed the weak-spirited Jewish infidel and attached the
soldiers. In that very moment, the revolution began!
Mattathias and his 5 sons engaged the Greeks in
guerrilla warfare to win Israel's independence. Because of the
their bravery and leadership, the Jews miraculously won the war with
the Greeks and regained their freedom to worship the one true God of
Israel. The Temple which was descrecrated when Antiochus Ephiphanes
sacrificed a pig on the altar of the Temple was recaptured by the
Maccabees and rededicated back to God.
Hanukkah is one of the most historically
documented ancient Jewish holidays. It is recorded in the Apocrypha
-- in 1st and 2nd Maccabees. Concerning the story of Hanukkah, the
ancient Jewish historian Josephus born in 37 CE wrote in his book,
"The Antiquities of the Jews" 12:7:7
"Now Judas celebrated the festivals of the restoration of the
sacrifices of the Temple for eight days: and omitted no sort of
pleasure thereon: but he feasted them upon every rich and splendid
sacrifices; and he honored God and delighted them, by hymns and
psalms. Nay, they were so very glad at the revival of their customs,
when after a long time of intermission, they unexpectedly had
regained the freedom of their worship, that they made it a law for
their posterity, that they should keep a festival, on account of the
restoration of their temple worship, for eight days. And from that
time to this we celebrate this festival, and call it LIGHTS. I
suppose the reason was, because this liberty beyond our hopes
appeared to us; and that thence was the name given to that festival".
THE STORY OF HANUKKAH IN THE BOOK OF MACCABEES
In 1st Maccabees 1:41-64 it is written:
"Moreover king Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom, that all should
be one people. And every one should leave his laws: so all the heathen
agreed according to the commandment of the king. Yea, many also of the
Israelites consented to his religion, and sacrificed unto idols and
profaned the sabbath. For the king had sent letters by messengers unto
Jerusalem and the cities of Juda that they should follow the strange
laws of the land. And forbid burnt offerings, and sacrifice, and drink
offerings, in the temple; and that they should profane the sabbaths
and festival days. And pollute the sanctuary and holy people. Set up
altars, and groves, and chapels of idols, and sacrifice swine's flesh,
and unclean beasts. That they should also leave their children
uncircumcised and make their souls abominable with all manner of
uncleanness and profanation. To the end they might forget the law, and
change all the ordinances. And whosover would not do according to the
commandment of the king, he said, he should die. In the selfsame
manner wrote he to his whole kingdom and appointed overseers over all
the people, commanding the cities of Juda to sacrifice, city by city.
The many of the people were gathered unto them, to wit every one that
forsook the law, and so they committed evils in the land. And drove
the Israelites into secret places, even wheresoever they could flee
for succour. Now the fifteenth day of the month Kislev, in the hundred
forty and fifth year, they set up the abimination of desolation upon
the altar, and builded idol altars throughout the cities of Juda on
every side; and burnt incense at the doors of their houses, and in the
streets. And when they had rent in pieces the books of the law which
they found, they burnt them with fire. And whosoever was found with
any committed to the law, the king's commandment was, that they would
put him to death. Thus did they by their authority unto the Israelites
every month, to as many as were found in the cities. Now the five and
twentieth day of the month they did sacrifice upon the idol altar,
which was upon the altar of God. At which time according to the
commandment they put to death certain women, that had caused their
children to be circumcised. And they hanged their infants about their
necks, and rifled their houses and slew them that had circumcised
them. Howbeit many in Israel were fully resolved and confirmed in
themselves not to eat any unclean thing. Wherefore the rather to die,
that they might not be defiled with meats, and that they might not
profane the holy covenent: so then they died. and there was very great
wrath upon Israel"
THE HASMONEAN DYNASTY
Before Mattathias died, he passed the leadership onto his son
Judah Maccabee. Judah (or Judas as he is also called) was known as
"the hammer". Under his respected leadership, the Jewish warriors
continued to drive the pagan invaders out of Israel. This was the
beginning of the Hasmonean dynasty. Against all odds, the Jews were
victorious. Ultimately, they liberated Jerusalem and rededicated the
Temple back to God. Later, the Hasmonean dynasty became quite
hellenized. They persecuted and opposed the Rabbis. The Hasmonean
dynasty ruled into the 1st century.
THE ANCIENT TALMUDIC RABBIS AND HANUKKAH
The ancient Rabbis taught about the holiday but even they
don't discuss the miracle of the oil until the later Talmudic
writings of the Gemara. The Mishnah is silent about the miracle of
oil burning for 8 days after having only a one day supply of oil to
burn in the Temple upon recapturing the Temple back from the Greeks.
This was probably due to the Mishnah Rabbis living under Roman
domination and their fear of the Roman authorities.
HANUKKAH: A BIBLICAL FESTIVAL ???
Hanukkah is not a Biblical commanded Festival found in Lev 23.
However, according to the text of John 10:22, Yeshua/Jesus kept and
celebrated this festival. The "feast of dedication" in John 10:22 is
Hanukkah. Hanukkah in Hebrew means "dedication".
DREIDELS
Dreidels are the toys with with Jewish children play to call
to remembrance the story of the rededication of the Temple in ancient
Israel. Can a toy tell a religious story? A sevivon (Hebrew for
Dreidel) tells a marvelous story. A dreidel is a 4 sided top-like
spinning toy that has a letter painted on each side. The letters are a
Hebrew acronym saying:
A GREAT MIRACLE HAPPENED HERE!
What was this great miracle that the Dreidel and the holiday
commemorate? It is proclaimed that after the Maccabees won their
stunning military victory over the Greek invaders of Israel they
cleansed the Temple. In so doing, they needed to light the Menorah ( a
candelabra in the Temple). The Maccabees only had enough proper olive
oil to burn for 1 day. The miracle that is remembered is the story of
how the lights burned for 8 days giving them sufficient time to
complete their celebration and produce more oil for the Temple.
Chanukiah Candle Lighting Guide
#1) First, set the number of candles ready to be lit to correspond
with which of the 8 days are being celebrated. The first
candle is placed at our right, as we face the Chanukiah (9
candlestick menorah) subsequent candles are placed to the left
of it, one additional candle to each of the eight days. The
first new candle is ALWAYS kindled first by the LIT shamash candle.
#2) Light the Shamash (servant) candle, which represents the Messiah
Yeshua (He is God's servant sent to the earth to redeem us
from our sins).
While holding the Shamash candle, recite the Barukh (blessing)
saying, "He is the Light of the World" and reading Mark
10:44-45.
"Whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be the servant
of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but
to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many".
#3) With the Shamash candle burning, take it in your hand and recite
the following blessing in Hebrew and English.
"Baruch atah Adonai Elohenu melech ha-olam kidshanu
b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Chanukiah"
"Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who
has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded
us to kindle the light of the Chanukah (and to let our light shine
before others)"
"Baruch atah Adonai Elohenu melech ha-olam sheheyanu
v'ke'manu v'heegeeanu lazman hazeh"
"Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who
has performed miracles for our forefathers in those days at this
time".
"Baruch atah adonai Elohenu Melech ha-olam, she-hasah
nisim la-atotainu ba-yamim ha-ham bazman hazeh"
"Blessed ar you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who
has kept us alive and sustained us and enabled us to reach this
season".
#4) Then, light the other candles with the Shamash candle
#5) Each night of lighting, invite a different person to read the
Scriptures designated for each night of the 8 days.
#6) Sing "Ma'oz Tzur" ("Rock of Ages") and other Chanukah songs you
might come across, celebrating the coming of the Light of the World.
a) FIRST CANDLE (Exodus 3:21-22)
b) SECOND CANDLE (Psalm 18:28, Psalm 27:1)
c) THIRD CANDLE (Isaiah 60:1,3
d) FOURTH CANDLE (John 8:12)
e) FIFTH CANDLE (Luke 2:30-32)
f) SIXTH CANDLE (Psalm 119:105, Psalm 130)
g) SEVENTH CANDLE (Matthew 5:14-16)
h) EIGHTH CANDLE (Rev 21:22-27)
#7) Gift giving on each of the 8 days of Chanukah is optional.
***********************************************************************
From: Sara Sutherland
To: Heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: The Eight Nights of Hanukkah
The Eight Nights of Hanukkah
On the first night of Hanukkah, someone sent to me, a warm
bagel topped with cream cheese.
On the second night of Hanukkah, someone sent to me, two
matzoh balls and a warm bagel topped with cream cheese.
On the third night of Hanukkah, someone sent to me, three
golden latkes, two matzoh balls, and a warm bagel topped with
cream cheese.
On the fourth night of Hanukkah, someone sent to me, four
pounds of corned beef, three golden latkes, two matzoh balls,
and a warm bagel topped with cream cheese.
On the fifth night of Hanukkah, someone sent to me, five
kosher dills, four pounds of corned beef, three golden latkes,
two matzoh balls, and a warm bagel topped with cream cheese.
On the sixth night of Hanukkah, someone sent to me, six
grandmas cooking, five kosher dills, four pounds of
corned beef, three golden latkes, two matzoh balls, and
a warm bagel topped with cream cheese.
On the seventh night of Hanukkah, someone sent to me, seven
rabbis dancing, six grandmas cooking, five kosher dills, four
pounds of corned beef, three golden latkes, two matzoh balls,
and a warm bagel topped with cream cheese.
On the eighth night of Hanukkah, someone sent to me,
eight fiddlers fiddling, seven rabbis dancing, six
grandmas cooking, five kosher dills, four pounds of corned
beef, three golden latkes, two matzoh balls, and a warm
bagel topped with cream cheese.
OY VEY!!!!!!!!
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